Gastonia man claims top lotto prize

A Gastonia man who stopped at a local gas station to refill his tank over the weekend now has more than $500,000 in his bank account to show for the pit stop.

George Meeks II didn't get any sleep over the weekend, though he had reason for the insomnia. His trip to the Raceway on South York Road included the purchase of a Jumbo Bucks lottery ticket and the extreme shock that followed almost immediately afterward.

"I thought I only won $750 at first," Meeks said. "It took me a while to realize I won $750,000. I was very excited once I figured it out."

Meeks' winnings — $521,260 after state and federal taxes were factored in — was the second-to-last grand prize available for the $10 scratch-off game that launched in August 2015.

The mill supervisor drove with his wife to Raleigh's lottery headquarters bright and early Monday morning to claim his new fortune.

"I've been up all weekend," he said. "I haven't been able to sleep at all."

Lottery sales raised more than $600 million for the state last year, including nearly $12 million for Gaston County educational programs.